A Very Strawhat Christmas Eve
by Abarero
Summary: The day before Christmas and all on Sunny-Go are busy. Sanji is baking, Luffy and Zoro are getting the Christmas tree, and Franky has constructed a special gift for their new crewmate, Brook. But with these pirates, nothing ever goes according to plan.


N**otes:** Written for **navo05** at **op_exchange** on livejournal.

* * *

**A Very Strawhat Christmas Eve**

There were many things Brook had discovered about his new nakama since joining the crew. The first was that aside from a few of them, they were all a bit crazy. He thought this of them in the most endearing way possible, glad to have a group of friends that were just as apt to flirt shamelessly, burst into song, or goof off as he was.

The second thing he quickly learned was that there was nothing quite like a Strawhat party and this thought was only enforced on celebrating his first Christmas with the crew.

Despite being nowhere near a winter island weeks before the twenty fifth, the whole ship had been turned into a winter themed floating wonderland. Usopp and Franky had gone above and beyond the call of sniper and shipwright, lighting Thousand Sunny up with hundreds of lights. At first, Nami protested that this would make them a floating beacon for the Marines, but Franky just grinned, showing her the emergency off switches he'd installed throughout the ship that would shut the whole light extravaganza off with one single tap. As if that wasn't impressive enough, the shipwright had also developed an onboard snow machine to create a light white powder covering the deck. This decorative attachment also doubled as a defense, the blowers having an instant blizzard setting that would be activated whenever the emergency light switches were hit.

Needless to say, they would be a festive ship, and if the situation called for it, they would disappear into a machine-created blackout and blizzard.

It was Franky's hard work on this fiasco that had Brook all the more surprised when the shipwright started asking him thinly veiled questions about music. The ship's musician concluded that he was developing a speaker system for the ship, a way to channel all the tone dial recordings of holiday carols into several rooms at once.

Each day leading up to Christmas, Franky would ask him yet another question. So on the twenty fourth, Brook wasn't surprised to be approached by the teal-haired man yet again.

"Oi, Brook! Where on the ship has the best acoustics? Or is it easily enough heard on the deck?"

Setting aside the teacup he'd been sipping from, Brook considered his query. "Well, vocally speaking both are suitable. Anything with lots of horns or woodwinds would do well in the Aquarium, and strings would be good on deck if you didn't want the sound to carry too far away from the ship."

Franky listened intently, sometimes scribbling something down on a tiny notepad he carried. Finally, he looked up grinning.

"Super! Thanks Brook." He paused in the doorway, and turned back. "Oh and…uh…you might come to the deck in thirty minutes."

Brook tried to raise an eyebrow, then on remembering that a skeleton didn't have any eyebrows, he chuckled to himself. "I'll wait exactly thirty minutes before coming up on the deck then."

Franky gave a forced smile, realizing that Brook had caught his hint, and he rushed off at top speed.

Wondering what it was that Franky wanted him to see on the deck, Brook lifted his teacup back up to his mouth and found it empty.

"I suppose a short detour to the kitchen is in order," Brook said to himself. As he emerged from the library, he resisted the urge to glance towards the deck for the surprise. But with a smile, he resisted. Today was already looking to be very interesting.

--------------------------------------------------

It had been a very long day for Zoro. He'd been woken up early by an overexcited Luffy who had jumped on top of him in his bunk. Groggily registering that the captain was supposed to be on lookout, Zoro sat up, causing Luffy to topple off his chest and land on the floor.

"Zoro! We gotta go! We gotta go now or we'll miss it!"

Confused, he mumbled, "What are you talking 'bout?"

The captain grinned, one of those maniac oh-god-what-is-he-going-to-drag-me-into-now grins, and grabbed Zoro's arm.

"Come on! I already asked Usopp to take over lookout for me so we can go right now!"

Stumbling out of bed with Luffy's vice like grip pulling him out of the room and down the stairs, Zoro squinted into the early morning light, trying to discern what the excitement was about.

That's when he spotted it on the shore of the island they were passing; rows and rows of snow covered pine trees. Glancing around the deck, Zoro realized that he was not the only one roused early by Luffy's antics. The majority of the crew stood in doorways blearily looking out, Franky yawned at the helm where he'd just lowered the anchor and was reaching for the dock lever, and Nami was shaking her head and trying to hand Zoro a coat.

"At least one of you should take one and Luffy refuses."

Zoro grunted as he accepted his warmer coat and pulled it on one-handed while Luffy clasped his wrist and started dragging him below deck to Dock Two.

What they were doing was clear. Luffy wanted a Christmas tree and if they weren't landing at a winter island, he would just go out in Mini Merry II and pick one up. Zoro rubbed his tired eyes as he settled into one of the seats in the small shopping boat.

The dock door opened and they set sail. Luffy grinning and squinting at the shore as if he could select the choice tree from this distance.

"What about that one? Or that one? Hey, Zoro- you okay?"

"I'm goin' to sleep," Zoro mumbled, already starting to doze off again.

Shrugging, Luffy leaned against his side and continued his eager squinting at the green blur on the shore.

-------------------------------------

Sanji had been woken up much earlier than he'd planned on that morning, a very loud and hyperactive Luffy successfully rousing the whole men's bunk when he came rushing in. First he'd managed to send Usopp up to the crow's nest in his place, then he woke Franky and asked him to open Dock Two. By the time he'd launched himself at Zoro, everyone else had been at least somewhat woken by the noise. Unable to go back to sleep after the two departed in Mini Merry II, Sanji decided that he'd start in on baking for the day.

He'd spent the majority of the morning churning out every holiday dessert staple he could think of, and inventing a few twists on them as he went. He paused once to fix the others breakfast and once more around lunch. Every once in awhile, someone would come in asking for a snack or a drink, and he'd pause in his baking to fix it up for them.

Covered in a fine sheen of flour and rolling up his sleeves to start in on another batch of cookies, Sanji looked up as Brook came down the stairs into the dining hall.

"Ah, Sanji-san! I hate to trouble you when you're busy making what is sure to be a wonderful desert, but I'm out of tea again."

The cook smiled, sitting down a rolling pin and fetching the kettle he'd kept warm on the stove.

"I though you might be back for more. Here." He poured the warm water into the teacup.

"Thank you. I can get the tea bag for myself if you'd like to go back to your baking."

Sanji nodded and the tall skeleton sidled into the kitchen, trying his best not to get in the cook's way as he opened the cabinet and selected a teabag. Letting the bag soak into the warm liquid, Brook walked around to the bar and seated himself at it.

"So what are you working on now or is it a surprise?"

"Gingerbread men," Sanji said, starting to roll out the dough. "I just haven't decided exactly how I want to do them yet. I've been experimenting with some of the other recipes, but nothing comes to mind with this one."

"Hmmm," Brook pondered as he absently stirred his tea, waiting for it to brew. "A creative shape perhaps?"

The cook seemed to ponder this for a moment, his eyes lighting up as something came to him. "I think I have an idea."

He grinned at Brook as the musician took a sip of his tea. "Ah! Too hot! My tongue is burning, or it would be if I had a tongue! Yo-ho-ho-ho!"

Shaking his head at the skull joke Sanji turned to the fridge, punched in the password on the lock and opened it up. Taking out a single cube of ice, he returned to the counter and reached across to deposit it into Brook's teacup.

"There, that should cool it down without making it too watery."

Brook smiled. "Thank you. I see you've already stashed many goodies in the refrigerator."

"Yeah, that's so Luffy doesn't eat them all himself."

Laughing, Brook sipped his now much cooler tea. "I hate to impose on you while you're so busy, but Franky-san told me to stay off the deck for at least thirty minutes."

A knowing smile quirked at Sanji's lips. "Ah yeah. You can stay here while you wait."

"Thank you," Brook said with a grin. "So… gingerbread cookies?"

Sanji's face lit up and he started to roll the dough again. "These are going to be very special gingerbread cookies, Brook. Just you wait and see."

------------------------------------------------------------

Luffy had spent most of the morning dragging Zoro back and forth through the pine tree forest, demanding of each tree they passed, "Will this one work?"

In reply, Zoro usually just shook his head or briefly explained that it wouldn't fit in Mini Merry to take it back. This didn't seem to damper Luffy's spirits at all, and his determination to find the perfect tree seemed to be overriding all other senses at the moment; including the fact he was shivering due to the cold.

"You should've taken a coat," Zoro mumbled as they looked at what had to be the hundredth tree.

Luffy just grinned, his teeth chattering and nose running. "I'm okay! It's not _that_ cold."

Zoro gave him a look and Luffy did his best not to waver in his attempts to ignore the chilly temperature.

_Achoo!_ A loud sneeze betrayed him and he looked bashfully up at Zoro. "So it's a bit cold."

The swordsman rolled his eyes, reaching for the clasps on his coat to offer it to his captain. But Luffy, a dangerous glint of glee flickering across his expression, had already decided what needed to be done.

"Zoro, let me in your coat!" He said in a very captainly manner.

"In?" Zoro asked, already dreading the answer.

Taking his query to be the same as an acceptance of the idea, Luffy rushed forward and began to worm his way into the coat along with Zoro. Finally, he rested his head back against Zoro's chest and looked up at him.

"Okay, you can button us back up now."

Knowing that the time they wasted arguing about the situation would only delay them further, Zoro sighed in resignation and clasped his coat back up.

"Yosh! Now we'll get that tree!" Luffy said cheerfully.

He took a step forward, and since Zoro wasn't taking a simultaneous step, the two toppled face first into the snow. Zoro cursed, Luffy just laughed.

"I fink we hath to speth at vhe chame dthime," he sputtered through the snow in his mouth.

"This isn't going to work," the swordsman muttered, pulling them both upright. Luffy's feet dangled in front of them, seeming to give him another idea.

"Oh, I know!"

Like a hyperactive monkey, Luffy scurried around the inside of Zoro's coat and finally settled on his back; looping his legs around Zoro's chest and his arms around his neck.

"This work, Zoro?"

Figuring that giving him a piggyback ride inside his coat would be a lot less irritating than whatever else Luffy would think up, Zoro grunted in acceptance.

Luffy smiled, resting his head on Zoro's shoulder and leaning it against his cheek.

"So…which tree should we get?"

Zoro pointed at random to the forest in front of them and Luffy cackled with glee.

"That one's perfect, Zoro! I should've let you pick the tree when we first got here."

Repressing a groan of frustration, Zoro grabbed the hilt of a sword and concentrated.

_Itto-Ryu_ _Iai: Shishi Sonson!_

Before you could even see him draw the sword, he was replacing it into the sheath; the selected pine tree toppling to the ground.

----------------------------------------------------

It was by no means a Baby Grand, or anything near as fancy; in appearance, it more resembled the beer stained pianos tucked away in the corners of bars. But what made the rickety piano something grand was that Franky had constructed it almost entirely out of scraps from his workshop, only having to purchase one or two items to finish it off.

Nami had given him a loan with a discount on interest, in lieu of the holiday season, so even those few parts weren't too pricey to acquire. But price aside, Franky was very proud of the end result.

After getting Robin and her devil fruit power to aid him in lugging the piano up onto the main deck, Franky set about polishing it and tinkering with a few last details before going back to get Brook.

On the way, Chopper ran into his legs and both of them came to a halt.

"Ah! Franky! Sanji needs some scrap metal."

The shipwright blinked. "What for?"

The tiny doctor shrugged. "He told me it was a surprise but to ask you for thin strips of sheet metal. Maybe it's for a cookie cutter?"

Franky grinned at the hopeful look on Chopper's face and patted him on the head. "I'll go get some if you go tell Brook to meet me on the main deck."

He nodded, dashing off back towards the kitchen while Franky rushed off towards his workshop. Thankfully, he'd kept a stash of just what Sanji had asked for in one of the cabinet drawers. Grabbing up an armful, he returned to the deck.

Chopper was waiting there with Brook, who was excitedly looking at the cloth-covered object by the base of the tree. Handing the bundle of metal to the reindeer, Franky grinned.

"Tell Eyebrow-bro if he needs any help shaping this, I'll be up later."

"Okay!" He said, scurrying off towards the kitchen.

Franky looked around the deck, trying to remember where everyone was. He knew Usopp was on lookout since Zoro and Luffy had gone out for a tree, Chopper was going to the kitchen where Sanji was baking, and Robin had gone up to the library with Nami after helping him get the piano on deck.

Good, that meant it would just be him and the musician when he revealed the present. Franky normally would have shown it off to the crew before hand, but he had a feeling that he would be crying many manly tears and figured the smaller the audience the better.

"All right, Brook. I figured I'd give you your gift early since we might want to use it tonight."

With a flourish, he yanked the sheet off the piano and Brook just stared. Rubbing the back of his head nervously, Franky spoke up.

"I'm more familiar with guitars, so if it needs any tuning just let me know." He turned to the skeleton and started at the tears on his face. "H-hey! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Oh no," Brook said, wiping the tears from his eye sockets, "These are tears of pure happiness, my friend. A piano for me aboard this ship! My heart would burst with joy, if it was still beating! Yo-ho-ho-ho!"

Franky grinned at the skull joke and placed a hand on Brook's shoulder. "So- try it out."

Brook nodded, wiggling his fingers and settling himself at the bench. He paused as his fingertips hovered just above the keys.

"Franky-san, you have already bestowed me with the greatest gift, but may I request one more thing of you?"

"Sure, what?"

Brook smiled. "Will you join me in playing some festive songs? A duet shall be much more joyous than a solo."

Knowing of his friend's tragic past, tears welled in Franky's eyes as he replied, "All right then! I'll get my guitar."

As Franky rushed off to fetch his instrument, definitely _not_ crying the whole way there, Brook reverently brushed his hands over the piano.

_I've found such wonderful nakama, Laboon. I hope our songs will reach you tonight on this Christmas Eve._

And as more tears trickled down his face, Brook started to play.

---------------------------------------------

Zoro was beginning to think that tree decorating had to have been invented as a means of torture. This was after of hours of Luffy, who was still riding on his back, fussing over the exact placement of each and every ornament.

On the other side of the deck, Brook and Franky were chatting and playing carols. The musician, having gotten a piano as a gift from the shipwright, was clearly determined to play every holiday song he knew before the night was up.

"Luffy," Zoro grumbled as the captain clambered onto his head, "are you done yet?"

"Almost!" He said, placing a star atop the tree. "There!"

He slid down Zoro's back, landing on the ground beside him. The swordsman had to admit, the tree was rather nice now that it was decorated.

"Thanks for the help, Zoro!" Luffy said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. Zoro grunted in reply.

"Nami-swan! Robin-chan! And, I guess, all you other good for nothings!" Sanji's voice called out as he stepped out of the kitchen door. Chopper stood beside him, grinning and holding a plate.

It took a few minutes, but everyone finally gathered on the deck as Sanji handed out a cookie to each of them.

"Yay cookies!" Luffy said, but Sanji stopped him from eating it right away.

"Just a moment." Clearing his throat, the cook smiled at the crew. "Each of these cookies was made specifically for you. And if you look at them before stuffing it into your mouth, you'll see why."

Everyone looked down at their cookie then, seeing a gingerbread man, woman or reindeer iced to look just like themselves. In their little gingerbread hands, the cookies held an object that meant something special to the person. A mikan on Nami's, a book in ancient text on Robin's, a slingshot on Usopp's and so on.

"Cookie meat!" Luffy exclaimed, biting it off along with gingerbread Luffy's hand. Zoro frowned at the word 'Marimo' scrawled across his gingerbread man's shirt while the others murmured their thanks to Sanji. By the piano, both Brook and Franky tried to wipe away manly tears before anyone noticed them crying.

Once the crew had settled back down and Sanji had brought out more trays of holiday treats, the cook emerged a final time wielding a sprig of green in his hand rather than food.

"Ohhh Nami-swan…I've got some mistletoe!"

The word seemed to jolt a drowsy and stuffed Luffy back to attention, the captain jumping up with a shout.

"Mistletoe!"

And before anyone on deck could register what he was up to, he'd attacked. First planting a fierce kiss on Zoro, who spluttered and looked a bit embarrassed as Luffy dashed across to Usopp, who he pecked on the tip of his nose. Then he launched himself at Brook, giving the skeletal man a kiss on his teeth, and turned to Franky. The shipwright held up his hand to block the incoming kiss attack.

"Hold it! That's not how mistletoe works."

Luffy blinked. "It's not?"

And before anyone could explain how it did work, Luffy bumped into the emergency off button for the lighting system; the slight tap sending the whole ship into sudden darkness as an ominous whirring noise started emitting from the snow machine.

"Luffy!" The crew chorused in exasperation.

The machine kicked into blizzard mode and started covering them all in snow. Sanji took the opportunity to hold his spring of mistletoe up and sidle next to Nami.

"Nami-san, we're under the mistletoe."

"We're also in a machine created blizzard!" She replied irritably, but she didn't pull away as the cook put his arm around her.

Most everyone else just sat down where they were at, waiting for the defense system to turn off. Luffy, who had gotten cold again, groped around for Zoro and squirmed back into the coat with him. Zoro sighed and wrapped his arms around Luffy, the captain finally settling in his lap.

Over the whir of the snow machine, Brook called out. "To keep us in good spirits throughout this blizzard, I will sing an old holiday tune."

And through the snow and darkness, his voice accompanied by piano and Franky's guitar echoed across the deck.

_Avast_ _me hearties, now put up the sail,  
And someone start ringing that ole Christmas bell!  
We'll dance and sing and carol and sway,  
Here with my friends upon Christmas day._

_Though the sea be wide and the journey long,  
Raise up your voices, now join in the song.  
Take up your drink and let out a cheer,  
For Christmas comes but one day a year!_

_Take up your drink and let out a cheer,  
For Christmas comes but one day a year!_


End file.
